Expiring virtual content from a cache in a virtual universe

Abstract

Approaches for expiring cached virtual content in a virtual universe are provided. In one approach, there is an expiration tool, including an identification component configured to identify virtual content associated with an avatar in the virtual universe, an analysis component configured to analyze a behavior of the avatar in a region of the virtual universe, the behavior indicating a likely future location of the avatar, and an expiration component configured to expire cached virtual content associated with the avatar based on the behavior of the avatar in the region of the virtual universe, wherein the cached virtual content associated with the avatar in the future location is maintained in the cache longer than cached virtual content associated with the avatar in another region of the virtual universe.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for expiring cached virtual content in a computer database in a virtual universe, comprising:
 identifying, using a computing device, virtual content associated with an avatar in the virtual universe; 
 analyzing by voice or optical character recognition, using the computing device, a conversation between the avatar and another avatar at a current location within a region of the virtual universe, the conversation indicating a likely future location of the avatar in the region of the virtual universe; 
 determining, based on the conversation, the likely future location of the avatar in the region of the virtual universe, wherein the likely future location is different from the current location of the avatar; 
 maintaining, using the computer device, cached virtual content associated with the avatar in the determined future location; and 
 expiring the cached virtual content associated with the avatar in another region of the virtual universe. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , the analyzing comprising determining whether the avatar is present within the region of the virtual universe. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , the analyzing comprising analyzing an interaction between the avatar and another avatar within the virtual universe. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 3 , the expiring comprising expiring the cached virtual content when the avatar logs-out of the virtual universe. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 3 , the expiring comprising expiring the cached virtual content when the avatar exits the region of the virtual universe. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 3 , the expiring comprising expiring the cached virtual content in the case that the avatar is unlikely to enter the region of the virtual universe within a predefined time period. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1  further comprising charging an expiration fee for facilitating the expiration of the cached virtual content in the virtual universe. 
     
     
       8. A computer system for expiring virtual content in a virtual universe, comprising: at least one processing unit;
 memory operably associated with the at least one processing unit; and 
 an expiration tool storable in memory and executable by the at least one processing unit, the expiration tool comprising: an identification component configured to identify virtual content associated with an avatar in the virtual universe; 
 an analysis component configured to: 
 analyze a conversation between the avatar and another avatar at a current location within a region of the virtual universe, the conversation indicating a likely future location of the avatar in the region of the virtual universe, 
 determine, based on the conversation, the likely future location of the avatar in the region of the virtual universe, wherein the likely future location is different from the current location of the avatar; and 
 an expiration component configured to maintain cached virtual content associated with the avatar in the determined future location and expire the the cached virtual content associated with the avatar in another region of the virtual universe. 
 
     
     
       9. The computer system according to  claim 8 , the analysis component further configured to determine whether the avatar is present within the region of the virtual universe. 
     
     
       10. The computer system according to  claim 9 , the analysis component further configured to analyze an interaction between the avatar and another avatar in the virtual universe. 
     
     
       11. The computer system according to  claim 10 , the expiration component configured to expire the cached virtual content when the avatar logs-out of the virtual universe. 
     
     
       12. The computer system according to  claim 10 , the expiration component configured to expire the cached virtual content when the avatar exits the region of the virtual universe. 
     
     
       13. The computer system according to  claim 10 , the expiration component configured to expire the cached virtual content in the case that the avatar is unlikely to enter the region of the virtual universe within a predefined time period. 
     
     
       14. The computer system according to  claim 8  further comprising a transaction component configured to charge an expiration fee for facilitating the expiration of the cached virtual content in the virtual universe. 
     
     
       15. A computer-readable hardware storage device storing computer instructions, which when executed, enables a computer system to expire virtual content in a virtual universe, the computer instructions comprising:
 identifying, using a computing device, virtual content associated with an avatar in the virtual universe; 
 analyzing by voice or optical character recognition, using the computing device, a conversation between the avatar and another avatar at a current location within a region of the virtual universe, the conversation indicating a likely future location of the avatar in the region of the virtual universe; 
 determining, based on the conversation, the likely future location of the avatar in the region of the virtual universe, wherein the likely future location is different from the current location of the avatar; and 
 maintaining, using the computer device, cached virtual content associated with the avatar in the determined future location; and 
 expiring the cached virtual content associated with the avatar in another region of the virtual universe. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer-readable hardware storage device according to  claim 15 , the computer instructions for analyzing further comprising determining whether the avatar is present within the region of the virtual universe. 
     
     
       17. The computer-readable hardware storage device according to  claim 16 , the computer instructions for analyzing further comprising analyzing an interaction between the avatar and another avatar within the virtual universe. 
     
     
       18. The computer-readable hardware storage device according to  claim 17 , the computer instructions for expiring comprising expiring the cached virtual content when the avatar logs-out of the virtual universe. 
     
     
       19. The computer-readable hardware storage device according to  claim 17 , the computer instructions for expiring comprising expiring the cached virtual content when the avatar exits the region of the virtual universe. 
     
     
       20. The computer-readable hardware storage device according to  claim 17 , the computer instructions for expiring comprising expiring the cached virtual content in the case that the avatar is unlikely to enter the region of the virtual universe within a predefined time period.